"I promised my mother, father and grandparents that I would go back and finish my degree one day," said Rison, who's 30 credits short. "This will also enable me to be part of the coaching staff at Michigan State and I am very thankful to (head coach) Mark Dantonio for giving me the opportunity. I've always been close to the Michigan State program and have wanted to give back by coaching for a long time."

Rison remains among Michigan State's all-time leading receivers — second in receiving yards (2,992), third in receptions (146) — despite playing in a run-first, run-second, run-third offense that featured backs Lorenzo White and Blake Ezor.

MLive.com file photoAndre Rison coached his alma mater, Flint Northwestern, for the last two seasons.

Rison's final game as a Spartan is one of the more legendary performances in program history, with nine catches for 252 yards in the 1989 Gator Bowl.

Now he'll be working under receivers coach Terrence Samuel, helping guide a group of unproven wideouts on an otherwise fairly proven team.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me and I know I'll be able to help Michigan State's receivers better their game," said Rison, who spent the last two seasons as the coach of his alma mater, Flint Northwestern High School. "I have a lot of experiences in college, the NFL and through my coaching that I can pass along. I am really looking forward to coaching with Mark Dantonio because he cares about the right things, the fundamentals of the game."